Sensory Marketing Series: Scent
What’s the first thing that hits you when you walk past a Cinnabon in the mall? It’s not the visuals, it’s the scent. Smell is one of the most powerful (and most overlooked) tools in marketing. Unlike sight or sound, scent is directly tied to memory and emotion, which means the right scent can make your brand unforgettable.
From luxury hotels pumping their signature scent into lobbies, Starbucks roasting beans so the smell greets you before the barista does, or even the new car smell as you walk into a car dealership. These aren’t accidents—they’re strategies.
Here's how these brands have been using scent in their marketing:
Abercrombie & Fitch
The minute you walk past an Abercrombie store, you are transported back to the mall with your best friends in your shirt that has Abercrombie plastered across the front. Their signature cologne/perfume is pumped into every store. And, you instantly know where you are. The scent became so recognizable it carried their entire brand identity for a generation.
Disney
As you walk through their theme parks and smell chocolate or popcorn, think, "That smells amazing, I want some," before jumping in line to purchase. While these scents are likely around you from other consumers, they are also piped into the park using a patented smell-emitting system to boost your cravings for these snacks. They also do this within their rides and attractions to evoke nostalgia with scents, and I'm sure your mind just jumped to the smell of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
The Ritz-Carlton
Many hotels are tapping into the idea of signature scents, but one that always comes to mind for me is the Ritz-Carlton, because I still remember it 10 years later. Guests associate the calming scent with the relaxation and luxury they experience while they are staying. It extends the brand experience beyond the hotel stay, and brings it into their home — because you know you can find it in their gift shop, of course, too.
How to Tap into this Sense:
Create a signature scent for your storefront
On your product packaging, go Elle Woods and spray the paper you are using (like a thank you card or business card)
Create a familiar scent to spark a memory - if you are a candle company!
Using seasonal scents
If you are a brick-and-mortar location, lean into the seasons through seasonal scents to sway people toward seasonal products.
Strategic cooking stations for restaurants.
Make a fun "scratch n sniff" postcard to send as marketing materials.
How are you going to tap into scent with your marketing strategies? We are always on-call if you want to strategize.
We'll be back on Monday with part three of this blog series.
